This week

Last week the resistance began. Last week people throughout the country flooded lawmakers phone lines. Last week there were protests throughout the country (not necessarily reported in the media) and many lawsuits and many rulings. I was at work today because of one of those rulings forced a pause on efforts to put everyone at USAID on leave and make all the personnel overseas come home immediately.

This week we learn if the executive branch will comply with the judicial branch. If the executive branch decides they do not have to do what the judicial branch says, democracy in the US is over, or at least, it will require dramatic effort to save. 

There are people, including the vice president of the United States of America, suggesting, out loud, that he defy the courts and continue. 

The attack on the Treasury and the attack on the FBI are both absolutely unthinkable and extremely dangerous. If we add in refusal to comply with the judiciary, it’s over. 

I did take my own pictures today. We are about to have a major snowstorm so I made sure to go on a nice walk. I took pictures of deer that did not run from me even though I walked by pretty closely. 

But these pictures matter. 

The CDC ( Centers for Disease Control) set up an office in South Africa in 1995 to help detect, prevent, and control infectious disease outbreaks. CDC helps South Africa’s data and lab capabilities and their research capabilities.


In Pretoria, the CDC staff made these professions to cheer the staff of USAID. They did cheer us. See main and one of the extras.

A second extra is a sign that someone placed at what an official email told us was the former USAID office building. Word is that it will be given to another agency and that someone from their agency actually came by to look at the space today.

“The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development plans to invest at least 1.5 billion euros ($1.56 billion) this year to support Ukraine's economy and businesses…”. They also have big plans for when the war is over. 


“Around 300 Ukrainian refugees who sought safety when war broke out in their homeland will soon be able to have their UK visas extended.”

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